NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE
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Pregnancy center dedicated in Newcomb Cardinal Justin Rigali blesses the new Catholic Charities facility, located in the Crazy Quilt Friendship Center
DAN MCWILLIAMS
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A center for northern Campbell County John Deinhart, director of Stewardship and Strategic Planning for the diocese, delivers a reading at the Pregnancy Help Center blessing in Newcomb. With him are (from left) Esther Loudin, the center’s director; Sandi Davidson, Pregnancy Services Program leader for Catholic Charities of East Tennessee; Sister Mary Christine Cremin, RSM, executive director of CCETN; and Cardinal Justin Rigali. today.” The cardinal added that “each and every mother who will benefit will praise God for the help that is given to her. All of this is our prayer, and we offer it up to God, and we ask His help so that this beautiful project begun may continue for years to come and that all these children, all these mothers, all these families, and all these children of God will be able to fulfill their great destiny in this world.” The Newcomb pregnancy center
DAN MCWILLIAMS
atholic Charities’ new Pregnancy Help Center in Newcomb fulfills a great need in a northern Campbell County area where expectant moms are often plagued by poverty and drug addiction. Cardinal Justin Rigali blessed the new facility on his 82nd birthday April 19. Among those on hand were Sister Mary Christine Cremin, RSM, executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee; Sandi Davidson, Pregnancy Services Program leader for CCETN; and Esther Loudin, director of the Newcomb and LaFollette pregnancy centers. The Newcomb center is in the Crazy Quilt Friendship Center, half of which is occupied by a food pantry and half by the pregnancy center. The pregnancy center half includes a store with baby clothes, diapers, and many other items. Sister Mary Christine thanked the Newcomb center’s benefactors before Cardinal Rigali blessed the building with holy water. “It’s a real privilege for me to be part of this today, because we think that this house here really is an expression of the presence of God in this community,” Cardinal Rigali said. “All the generosity that has led up to this day makes it possible for this new center to fulfill its purpose. And its purpose is the purpose of service. Given that purpose, which is so noble and so high and so beautiful, that certainly is accompanied by the presence of God with us
In conversation Cardinal Rigali talks with Dr. Geogy Thomas, medical director of the Dayspring Family Health Center, at the pregnancy center blessing.
is CCETN’s fifth, to go along with the ones in Knoxville, Johnson City, Chattanooga, and LaFollette. The Newcomb center, while in the same county as the one in LaFollette, saves area moms a more than 40-minute drive over the mountain to the center in LaFollette. Ms. Davidson said the Newcomb center is partnering with a doctor’s office and a drug rehabilitation facility. “Hopefully it will be a support for those drug-addicted moms and for the community in general, to help them with the supplies and education that they need to be good parents and to learn about their pregnancy and to hopefully give them the tools they need to move forward in their lives,” she said. The new center had its origins some one-and-a-half years ago with Dr. Geogy Thomas, medical director of the Dayspring Family Health Center, which has offices in Jellico (near Newcomb) and Clairfield, Tenn., and in Williamsburg, Ky. “It started with Geogy Thomas from the Dayspring clinic talking to Sister Mary Christine about the need for support for the drug-addicted moms, because he was seeing more and more in his clinic all the time,” Ms. Davidson said. “He actually gives out these little teddy bears with a heartbeat to help the moms
By Dan McWilliams
understand that they are carrying a baby. They partnered with the drugrehab place to help the women get off drugs before their babies were born. “It’s taken us about a year and a half to get up the funds and get the community support, because it’s a small community and they have a hard time trusting people because there are so many things that have come and gone from this area. Once we told them what our plan was, they said, yes, there was definitely a need for this type of program, but also they were a little hesitant to get behind us at first, and then when they saw that we were progressing with it, the community has been a great source of support for us.” There is only one small Catholic parish, St. Boniface in Jellico, in the area, but the Newcomb center has ecumenical support. “It’s not about Catholic or Protestant; it’s about helping women and helping babies, changing the future generations for this community,” Ms. Davidson said. “Newcomb Baptist Church has already helped us with doing babybottle drives, and there are several other churches in the area that know about the program and are familiar with it and are wanting to get on board with helping with different things,” Ms. Loudin said. Sister Mary Christine said there “most certainly is” ecumenical support for the new center. “Catholics in this part of the state are few and far between, and so while initial funding has come from very generous donations within the Catholic community, the local community here and local churches here are willing to have baby-bottle drives. They are very open to the fact of wanting to support in whatever way they can.” Ms. Loudin said that “we’ve never had anything like this [pregnancy center] in the community. “This is going to be a way for us to work with pregnant moms and dads and families to help them become better parents and educate them on what to expect during pregnancy and after the baby is delivered.” Drug addiction is a problem many new moms face in the Newcomb area. Pregnancy center continued on page B6
Bishop celebrates final Chrism Mass at current cathedral
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ishop Richard F. Stika made an important announcement in his opening remarks at the 2017 Chrism Mass on April 11 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. “This is a very special time in our diocese,” he said. “This will be the last time we gather together in this current cathedral to celebrate the Chrism Mass.” With the new cathedral rising outside, more than 60 priests, more than 36 deacons, a large number of women religious as well as seminarians, seminary candidates, Knights of Columbus, and a few hundred of the faithful from throughout the diocese came together for the 29th and final Chrism Mass at the present cathedral. The new cathedral will be dedicated March 3, 2018. A packed Sacred Heart, lined with banners from parishes old and new, saw the bishop consecrate the holy oils that will be used in churches throughout the year and witnessed
the diocese’s shepherd as he heard the priests renew their vows of priestly service as they do every year at the annual Chrism Mass. Bishop Stika consecrated an extra amount of sacred chrism this year because it will be needed for the dedication of the new cathedral. Concelebrants at the Chrism Mass included Cardinal Justin Rigali, host rector Father David Boettner, and diocesan deans Father Charlie Burton, Father Doug Owens, Father Mike Cummins, and Father Ron Franco, CSP. The deacon of the Word was Christopher Floersh, who was ordained a priest on June 3. Freddy Vargas was deacon of the Eucharist. Seminarians and seminary candidates served at the altar. Bishop Stika said the Chrism Mass was “also kind of a sad time,” as he spoke of absent friends: Monsignor Xavier Mankel, one of the diocese’s vicars general, who was recovering from hip surgery while also battling
By Dan McWilliams
DAN MCWILLIAMS
Calling it ‘a very special time in our diocese,’ he welcomes more than 60 priests to the annual Holy Week liturgy
Holy moment Bishop Stika breathes over the sacred chrism, praying that the Holy Spirit be present in the oil. Deacon Freddy Vargas watches at right. the effects of a stroke, and the late Monsignor George Schmidt and Father Joe Campbell, who passed away in recent months.
“Monsignor Mankel is not here,” the bishop said. “So it’s kind of sad that he’s not with us, but he assures Chrism Mass continued on page B6